Storage battery.



No. 817,498. PATENTED APR. 10, 1906. J. R. MACMILLAN.

STORAGE BATTERY. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 1, 1905;

luv 511E115 Jams a H, Mam-Lillian WESTERN STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF

CORPORATION OF- ILLINOIS.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

crosses ear-"rear.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10. 1906.

Application filed April 1, 1906. Serial No- 253,207-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES R. MAOMILLAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Menomonie, in the county of Dunn and State of Wisconsin,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Storage Batteries,of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to storage batteries, and has for its object animproved element or plate therefor.

More particularly my invention has for its object an improvedconstruction of a unit frame orgrid for supporting the active material.

[is the amount of electrical energy which can be stored in a cell isproportional to the amount of active materiah exposed to theelectrolyte. it is essential that to obtain the greatest eiiiciency thegrids or frames for the plate should be so constructed and arranged thatwhen the active material is in place a maximum surface of activematerial together with. a minimum weight of plate should be obtained. Atthe same time a large supporting area and a suflicient contact area forthe active material must be afforded, as also retention means forholding the active mate rial in place on the grid. The unit of myimproved grid is preferably rectangular and in the form of a gridironhaving transverse ribs, said transverse ribs forming with otherpreferably horizontal ribs compartments for Iodginent of the activematerial. Projections or teeth extend preferably horizontally from thetransverse ribs into the compartments to serve as additional supportingand contact means for the active material. A cross-scction of the ribshas preferably the shape of a flattened rhombus, the top and lower edgesslightly extending to form thin webs to increase the contact area. Ipreferh ably extend the transverse ribs across the frame at an angle ofabout forty five degrees to afford additional supporting-base for theactive material and at the same time serving to strengthen and stiffenthe grid.

Each grid may consist of a single unit or may be composed of two or moresuch units. These units may be secured together at all theircontact-surfaces or may be secured together only at their edges or rims.I preferably employ only two units, however, per grid and burn orotherwise connect them to-' gether at their rims only. I find that byusing four such double grids as positive plates and five single grids asnegative plates twice the amount of current for the same voltage can beobtained as from a storageeell employing six single negative grids andfive single positive grids. In the first cell we thus have thirteensingle grids and in the sec ond cell eleven single grids; but tocompensate for the difference in weight the units of the double gridsmay be made slightly lighter, and I therefore am enabled to produce astorage-cell delivering twice as much current with the same voltage andweight as a cell composed of but single grids. Further more, where thelates are thus built up of units the cell wilf withstand a much higherrate of charge and discharge.

My invention will be best understood with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which" Figure l is a side elevation of a "grid, showing thearrangement of the ribsand pro'ections. Fig. 2 is a section view takenon line 2 2 of Fig". 1 and shows a single grid. Fig. 3 is a View similarto 2, but showing the grid composed of two units. Fig. 4: is an enlargedsectional view of part of a single grid. Fig. 5 is a sectional view ofpart ofadouble grid, showing the edges of the units as touching; andFig. 6 shows a sectional view of part of a double grid, showing theunits touching and connected together at the rims thereof.

The unit is preferably rectangular, as shown, and consists of a narrowcomparatively heavy rectangular inclosing frame or rim a, supporting aconnecting lug b, ribs 0,

preferably horizontal, and ribs 0!, running transversely across theunit, preferably at an angle of about forty-five degrees, although anyother angle may be employed. Short projections or teeth 6, integral withsaid transverse ribs d, extend preferably hori- "zontally into thecompartments f, formed between the intersecting ribs 0 and d. These ribsand projections are shaped as best shown in 4,5, and 6, he crosssectionthereof having the shape of a diagonally-flattened rhombus, the top andlower edges being extended to form t 1111 webs g. The surfacesof theribs thus form wedges which project into the active material 7i andserve to retain it in place, and the projections e byextending intotheactive material afford additional re- 5. tention means as wellasincreased contactsurface U The webs 9 also give an abundance ofcontact-surface without materially increasing the weight of the unit andserve also to retain the activ material.

As" the ribs and d and projections 0 come to sharp edges 2' at the facesof the unit, the active material may safely be applied to entirelysurround the ribs and projections, and therefore the active surface ofthe active material will practically be equal to the area of the unit.As the entire current delivered by the grid must pass to the terminal 1)thereof, the projections Z near these lugs are preferably continuous, asshown, to afford greater conductive section. v

The storage-cell may be entirely composed of single grids or unitssuitably arranged or each grid may be formed of a plurality 'of units,as shown in Fig. 3, where two units j and 7c are shown connectedtogether. The units of a double grid thus formed may be securelyconnected together at all their adj acent edges or may be securedtogether by their rims only and merely touching at the adjacent ribedges, but notfirmly connected together, or they may also be arranged,as shown in Fig. 6, with their edges or runs securely connected togetherand the units slightly bulged or bent away from each other. The grid bybeing thus formed of units is greatly strengthened against allthestrains which it would be subject to in storage-battery cells. Theactive material is thus stronger and more efficiently held in positionon the grid, and the -last arrangement referred to is perhapspreferable, as the active material will be connected together betweenthe edges of the ribs of the adjacent units.-

The rims of the units may be conveniently burned or soldered together.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim, as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent i 1. In a storage-battery grid unit, the com-'bination of an inclosing frame, a plurality of horizontal ribsextending across said frame, a plurality of transverse ribs extendingacross said frame and intersecting said horizontal ribs to formcompartments for lodgment of active material, projections on saidtransverse ribs extending into said compartments, said ribs andprojections being quadrilateral, thetop and lower edges thereof beingdisposed in a common vertical plane, and a web on said ribs andprojections, disposed in said vertical plane, substantially as describedand for the purpose set forth.

' 2. In a storage-battery grid unit, the combination of an inclosingframe, a plurality of 6 5 horizontal ribs extending across said frame, a

erases,

plurality of transverse ribs extending across said frame andintersecting said horizontal plane, and a web on said ribs andprojections, disposed in said vertical plane, substantially as describedand for the purpose setfforth.

3. In a storage-battery grid unitfi he com-' bination of an inclosingframe, a plurality of horizontal ribs extending across said frame, aplurality of transverse parallel ribs extending across-said frame andlntersecting said horizontal ribs to form compartments for lodg mentofactive material, projections on said transverse ribs extendlnghorizontally into. said compartments, said ribs and pro ections beinguadrilateral, the top and lower diagonal e ges thereof bein disposed ina corna web on said ribs mon vertical plane, an

and projections disposed in said vertical plane, substantially asdescribed and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a storage-battery grid unit, the combination of an inclosingframe, a plurality of horizontal ribs extending across said frame, aplurality of transverse parallel ribs extending across said frame andintersecting said horizontal ribs to form. compartments for lodgnient ofactive material, alternate horizontal ribs being partly interruptedbetween said transverse ribs to form projections on said transverseribs, said ribs and projections being quadrilateral, the top and lowerdiagonal edges thereof'being disposed in a common vertical plane, and aweb on said ribs and projections, disposed in said vertical plane,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an electric storage-battery plate, in combination, a grid unithaving an inclosing frame, a plurality of horizontal ribs, and aplurality of transverse parallel ribs intersecting said horizontal ribsat an angle to form compartments, a projection from each transverse ribinto each compartment, said ribs and projections being quadrilateral,the top and lower diagonal edges thereof being disposed in a commonvertical plane, webs on said ribs and projections disposed in saidvertical plane, and active material supported in said compartments andsurrounding said ribs and projections, substantially as described.

6. In a storage-battery grid, the combination of an inclosing frame, aplurality of horizontal ribs extending across said frame, and aplurality of parallel ribs extending diago: nally across said frame andintersecting said horizontal ribs to form compartments for lodgmeut ofactive material, alternate horizontal ribs being partly in term ptcdbetween said diagonal ribs,- all the ri erases a:

said diagonal ribs to leave rojections on said diagonal ribs,substantial y as described.

7 In a storage-battery grid unit, the combination of an inclosing frame,a plurality of horizontalribs extending across said frame,

and a plurality of parallel ribs extending diagonally across said frameand intersecting said horizontal ribs to form compartments for thelodgment of'aptive material, the ribs being quadrilateral, the top andlower diagonal edges thereof being disposed in a com" mon verticalplane, saidedges being slightly extended to form thin webs disposed insaid vertical plane, substantially as described.

8, In a storage-battery grid unit, the combination of an inclosingframe, a plurality oi horizontal ribs extending across said frame, aplurality of parallel ribs extending diagonally across said frame andintersecting said horizontal ribs to form compartments for the lodgmentof active material, alternate horizontal ribs being partly interruptedbetween said diagonal: ribs to leave projections on s and (projectionsbeingflquadrilateral, the top an lower diagonal edges thereofbeing'disposed in a common vertical plane, said edges being a pluralityofsirnilar gri slightly extended to form thin webs disposed in saidvertical plane, substantiallyas described. Y i

9. A storage-batterydplate composed of a units having rims,

said rims being securely electrically connected together, horizontalribs for each unit,

transverse ribs for each unit, alternate horizontal ribs beinginterrupted to form extensions, said ribs and extensions being .uadrilateral, the u per and lower diagonal edges of the ribs of each unitlying in a common vertical plane, the ribs and projections of 4o all theunits cooperating to retain active material in position on the plate.

i 10. A storage-battery plate composed of similar grid units, firmlyelectrically connected only at their rims, of horizontal ribs for eachunit, diagonally intersecting ribs for each unit, said ribs beingquadrilateral and the upper and loweredgesof the ribs of each with theup er and lower diagonal edges 60 thereof in eac i'unit lying in acommon vertical plane, the ribs and projections of all the unitscooperating to retain active material in position on the late.

In witness w lereof l hereunto subscribe 65 my name this 23d day ofMarch, A. D. 1905.

, JAMES R, MACMILLAN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, LEONARD W. Novannnn.

